The Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network declares its solidarity with the people of Bolivia and support for their right to determine their own government and policies in the face of a US-backed campaign to undermine and overthrow the elected government of President Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president who won a free and fair election in December 2005 with nearly 54% of the vote.

The AVSN has long campaigned in defence of the principle of self determination and sovereignty for Venezuela. Just as the US government conspired with local right-wing forces to briefly overthrow the elected Chavez government in a military coup April 2002, the same forces are today working towards the same end in Bolivia.

As a destabilisation campaign, with violent riots by right-wing forces, unfolds, it has become clear that Bolivia’s democracy is under threat. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, with Evo Morales by his side, warned on September 10 that the US was replicating its campaign against his government in Bolivia. Chavez stated that just as Venezuela faced “a coup, driven forward and financed by the government of the United States, the same is occurring in Bolivia”. Chavez insisted that Venezuela would support Bolivia against US aggression and in defence of democracy.

US-Venezuelan lawyer Eva Golinger, who has previously exposed secret US intervention into Venezuela, has revealed that US-funded agencies such as USAID and National Endowment for Democracy, that helped fund and organise groups inside Venezuela that have worked to overthrow the government, are also funding to the tune of US$13.3 million similar groups in Bolivia to the same end.

While the AVSN exists principally to build solidarity with Venezuela, President Chavez has always insisted that the Venezuelan revolution is one part of a struggle across the region for the ability of Latin American countries to determine their own future.

The AVSN recognises the US-backed right-wing campaign to overthrow the Morales government is also aimed at undermining the growing movement for integration in Latin America and isolating the Venezuelan government. After Morales’ election, Bolivia joined the Venezuelan-initiated Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, which challenges US-pushed free trade policies.

We demand that the US cease working to destablise and overthrow governments in Latin America. We congratulate the statements of President Chavez offering support for Bolivia against US aggression, and we add our weight to his call for solidarity. US hands off Latin America!